1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus capable of checking the finishing state of post-processing for a print product, a method for controlling the image processing apparatus, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printing system includes finishing apparatuses for a printing apparatus that implement post-processing functions such as punching processing, stapling processing, and trimming processing. For example, in the commercial printing market represented by print on demand (POD), since these finishing apparatuses are used to complete a print product as a commercial product, high printing accuracy and high processing accuracy of the finishing apparatuses are required. In the above mentioned commercial printing market, it is common to visually inspect the print product by the human eyes for the printing accuracy as well as the accuracy and quality of post-processing (finishing state). However, in reality, it is difficult to determine to pass or fail the criterion of application positions of punching processing, stapling processing, and trimming processing by the visual inspection.
It is common that, based on printing apparatus information and print instruction data, a conventional image processing apparatus generates and displays data for preview in consideration of information about the printing apparatus. In addition to that, there is a conventional technique for generating and displaying preview data which shows a back surface as if it can be seen through in the case that two-sided printing is included in page setting of print instruction data. (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-67347.) There is another conventional technique that compares an original data image of print instruction data with image data formed by scanning a print product of the original data image. (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-50546.) There is yet another conventional technique that improves the mechanical accuracy for applying post-processing to a more exact position. (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-301493.)
However, the above described conventional techniques cannot be used in an inspection process in which the finishing state of the post-processing for a print product is visually inspected by the human eyes after completion of the post-processing. The technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-67347 virtually checks an application position of post-processing on a print product using a preview image in a pre-print process, not after applying the post-processing. More specifically, this technique does not inspect whether the post-processing has been applied to a correct position after completion of the post-processing.
The technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-50546 compares an original data image of the print instruction data with image data formed by scanning a print product on which the original data image is printed. More specifically, this technique is intended to inspect the original data image (source data), and primarily does not take into consideration an application position of the post-processing. The technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-301493 is intended to improve the mechanical accuracy for applying the post-processing to a more exact position. More specifically, this technique does not take into consideration inspection after the post-processing is actually applied.
The above described techniques have a common issue of the difficulty in inspecting the finishing state of the post-processing for a print product after completion of the post-processing.